Chapter 95: Encounter! Dubai Meeting! Part 3

The time was just before dinner, as the evening sky began tingeing slightly orange. At last, the Dubai Gold Cup was about to begin.

The G2 Dubai Gold Cup was a long-distance race spanning 3,200 meters. Starting on the straight in front of the stands, the course looped leftward for one full lap before reaching the finish line.

There was virtually no elevation change—no signature slopes, just an unrelentingly flat track. As a result, even horse girls lacking sheer power had a real shot at pulling off an upset here.

Just as we’d practiced in Japan, the course was easy to run even for us Japanese competitors. The turf conditions were no issue either. We could run as usual. The only concern was the length of the final stretch. I’d calculated that I could barely hold off Kayf Tara’s late charge, but it’d undoubtedly be a brutal fight to the end.

That said, my bigger worry was whether Kayf Tara could even race in her current state… But I had no time to fret over my rival on this grand stage. If I didn’t win here, the Stayers’ Million would be hopeless.

Even after warm-ups, there were no fanfares for overseas races. One after another, the horse girls entered the gates, and the transition from paddock to starting line passed in a flash.

『From the inside gate, Apollo Rainbow enters smoothly, calmly surveying her surroundings.』

『She’s remarkably composed. As Japan’s representative in long-distance racing, can she achieve the ultimate victory?』

Each horse girl swiftly settled into their gates, and Kayf Tara entered hers without issue. She definitely had a volatile temperament, but at least gate entry wasn’t a problem for her.

『From the outside gate, Kayf Tara waits with an indifferent expression for the race to begin.』

『She, too, displays impressive calm. Will she prove herself as Europe’s strongest stayer?』

『All horse girls have entered the gates. The race is about to begin!』

As Seattle Charming from the outermost gate stepped forward into the steel starting gate, the 16 horse girls began shifting their weight unevenly. The crowd didn’t fall silent—instead, a restless murmur mixed with eager anticipation filled the air.

The 16 horse girls stood motionless, their fierce breathing faintly audible as the air inside the gates grew taut. Amidst it all, Kayf Tara’s unnervingly steady breath sent a chill down my spine.

She was utterly unpredictable. That thought crossed my mind just as a premonition of release shot through me—and in an instant, the steel gates burst open.

『—Apollo Rainbow with a fantastic start! Kayf Tara also leaps out, settling into 3rd or 4th position! The 16th favorite, Dupaty and Royal, is badly left behind! Will this start decide the race’s outcome?! The Dubai Gold Cup is underway!』

With the obstructing gate gone, I kicked off the ground. Though this was my first real race in three months, I felt no sluggishness. From an explosive start, I accelerated rapidly, opening a two-length lead within five seconds.

My runaway strategy couldn’t begin without a rocket start. Securing a one-length lead right out of the gate, then adding another with further acceleration—that was the only way to establish an unshakable pace.

Since I lacked explosive speed and couldn’t run my ideal race without securing the lead, it was no exaggeration to say the start decided everything.

『Apollo Rainbow surges to the front right out of the gate! She’s already opened a two- to three-length gap, leaving the American contenders behind! Meanwhile, Kayf Tara lingers mid-pack, hovering around 10th place!』

『It’s highly questionable whether her runaway strategy as a pacemaker will hold. After all, she’s a monster who can run 3,000 meters on turf in under three minutes—if the others don’t reel her in soon, they’re in for a world of pain!』

From the start to the first corner stretched an incredibly long straight—over 1,000 meters in total. By the time we reached the first turn, our speed would be fully unleashed, and the positioning battles would have somewhat settled.

The distance to the first corner was immense. For someone like me, who excelled in turns, only having one lap to work with was an unfavorable headwind.

Camera cars began moving diagonally ahead and behind me, and in this unfamiliar field of vision, I could feel the nearby turf trembling under galloping hooves.

(Ugh—the Americans are pushing harder than I expected—!)

The Meydan turf shook as powerful footfalls closed in behind me. Two distinct, thunderous strides were alarmingly close. I’d meant to build a lead at the start, yet they were already right on my tail.

The owners of those strides were Drill Isabel and Seattle Charming, both from America. Drill Isabel was a front-runner, while Seattle Charming was a runaway specialist. Both were charging at speeds nearly matching my own.

American races had little elevation change, with tight turns leading into short straights. As a result, runaway and front-running strategies dominated there, often leading to blistering paces.

That said, I hadn’t expected them to go this hard from the start—but what’s done was done. My runaway style wasn’t the kind that could control the entire field. My strategy was more about forcing a high-pace advantage by making others keep up. Letting these two take the lead was unacceptable. I had to impose my pace.

『400 meters since the start, and the lead is contested by three! Apollo Rainbow, Drill Isabel, and Seattle Charming are locked in a fierce battle, tightly packed!』

My vision shook violently as an oppressive pressure bore down on me. Seattle Charming, a runaway specialist, had pushed up to my diagonal rear, nearly drawing even. Her heavy footfalls and sturdier build meant I’d lose in a pure clash of strength. If she pulled alongside me, it’d be over!

I tucked my chin and accelerated further. Even as I neared top speed, I couldn’t surrender the lead. Pride as Japan’s representative was one thing, but if I lost the front, this could turn into another Satsuki Sho. No matter what, I had to force Seattle Charming to yield.

Hugging the innermost lane, I entered the straight in front of the stands. In the corner of my vision, I caught a fleeting glimpse of the trainers before they blurred past, leaving nothing but endless green turf in my sight.

Seattle Charming stubbornly matched me, turning this into a head-to-head battle. The dark bay horse girl bared her fighting spirit, closing in so aggressively she seemed ready to literally grab my tail.

Horse girls might look delicate, but beneath the surface, they were ferocious beasts. They greedily chased victory, kicking the earth with everything they had to crush their rivals. They honed their bodies to extremes rarely seen in modern society, sometimes even colliding with each other in their pursuit of the limits of speed—in a way, they were madmen.

But I wanted to win. If it meant victory, I’d pay any price—there was just no helping it.

Drill Isabel held back in third, easing her pace slightly. Meanwhile, Seattle Charming and I refused to yield, pulling away from the pack in a battle of sheer stubbornness.

『Drill Isabel settles into third! There’s a two-length gap between third and fourth—and three lengths between third and second-place Seattle Charming! The field is stretching out dramatically! Meanwhile, Kayf Tara sits in 10th, already over seven lengths behind Apollo Rainbow?!』

『At the 600-meter mark, the gap from first to last is a staggering 15 lengths! With the field this strung out, I’m already worried whether the backmarkers can catch up!』

We passed the 600-meter mark since the race began. Scanning the long stretch ahead, I finally spotted the approaching curve. Yet Seattle Charming had clung to me for 600 whole meters without rest. There was no time to catch my breath. I clung to the lead in near-suffocation, drool spilling from the corner of my mouth as I strained my neck to hold the front.

Surely, she was suffering just as much. From past footage, I knew she wasn’t a pure runaway type like me—she usually eased up slightly mid-race. She had to be running out of steam soon.

—Or so I thought, until our eyes met in our neck-and-neck struggle. 800 meters passed. Neither of us relented. If this kept up, our absurd stamina drain would doom us both. At this pace, a catastrophic slowdown near the third corner was inevitable.

(—If we keep fighting like this, we’ll BOTH collapse!! You know that, right?!)

(I KNOW, but I can’t back down! If I let you go, Apollo Rainbow, you’ll just run away with it!!)
(You’re the same! Give it a rest already—!)

Seattle Charming, like me, was the type who could only perform her best by seizing the lead. I understood her feelings painfully well, and she surely understood mine. That’s why neither of us could yield.

What was happening now was a battle of nerves—a mutual fear of mutual destruction. Each of us prayed the other would blink first, refusing to slow down in a self-destructive deadlock. A hellish cycle leading only to ruin. A pointless, disastrous clash of wills that wouldn’t end until true devastation arrived.

900 meters since the starting gate. The end of the straight and the stands loomed ahead. The cheers had shifted into uneasy murmurs as the unexpected race painted the Meydan sky in twilight hues.

『J-Just before the first corner... the race has already descended into chaos! Unbelievably, Apollo Rainbow and Seattle Charming battling for 1st and 2nd are setting a blistering pace!! Their time at the 1000-meter mark is—guh, ONE MINUTE FLAT!!』

『The gap between 2nd and 3rd is already five lengths... Yet the pack behind them is being dragged along by these two speed demons, so will Kayf Tara and the others waiting at the back have anything left for the final stretch? Wait—Kayf Tara has dropped all the way to 16th position. Did something happen?』

The first corner loomed. Most tracks slope inward to neutralize centrifugal force, making turns easier to navigate—and normally, that'd help shake off outside pressure too.

Normally.

Seattle Charming defied physics, pulling nearly even with me mid-corner despite the disadvantage of running wider.

This wasn't ordinary. Her 15th-place odds couldn't measure the terror she embodied. Not that 15th meant she was the 15th strongest—just the 15th most anticipated. Every horse girl at Dubai's grand festival was a jewel of talent.

I leaned hard against the inner rail, using the turn to accelerate. Seattle Charming clung like a demon. We'd already run 1200 meters from the start. I'd assumed any challengers would give up before the first corner.

But our desperation for victory knew no limits. Hers. Mine.

I barely kept my lead through the turn and charged into the second corner. The gap wouldn't budge. Seattle Charming stuck to me through sheer will—different from Symboli Rudolf, different from Twin Turbo, probably different from Silence Suzuka too. A runaway monster with terrifying grit. That this nightmare wasn't more famous had to be a joke.

Fighting nausea, we reached the latter half of the second corner. We'd been sprinting at near-final-stretch speeds for 1300 meters. Two runaway maniacs, nearly suffocating for over a minute, engaged in a globally televised battle of absurd stubbornness.

A reckless gamble. The optimal path to victory. Our endurance contest showed no signs of ending.

『Around the second corner, Apollo Rainbow clings to the lead by a thread! Seattle Charming presses from the outside! Seven lengths back to Drill Isabel in 3rd! Kayf Tara trails the leader by twelve lengths, cruising serenely in last place!! She'll need a miracle to close this gap!!』

『What's her plan?... She must be betting the frontrunners will collapse in the final stretch. Meanwhile, 3rd through 15th are burning stamina trying to chase the leaders. That's the curse of a runaway strategy.』

In this oxygen-starved hell, we hit the backstretch. Seattle Charming's sweat-drenched profile came into view—she had to be nearing her limit too. I told you to back off. But I'm never yielding.

Our eyes met. Her face was blue from hypoxia, her condition dire. Yet the fire in her gaze hadn't dimmed—it pierced me as she shoulder-checked me, screaming "Move!" without words. She inched closer. Too close.

(—We'll collide!)

(I'll pull off the upset—right here in Dubai—!)

Her outside pressure forced me toward the inner rail. The shredder-like whir of the fence grew deafening. Any closer, and a stumble could cause catastrophe.

The moment I tried shoving back—CRACK—her forearm slammed into my ribs.

"Ghk—!"

The impact disrupted my breathing. Precious oxygen fled my lungs. Seattle Charming seized the opening, surging ahead. Her acceleration was sluggish, but she'd take the lead.

In Japan, this contact would trigger an inquiry. But to her? Just routine jostling. I'd overlooked a brutal truth:

Overseas races treat position battles like war.

El Condor Pasa and Silence Suzuka had trained with me, but they'd adapted to Japanese racing. I'd never experienced real international combat—and now it was gutting me.

Foreign horse girls' larger builds made sense now. You needed size to survive this carnage.

Biting back pain, I glared at Seattle Charming as she drew even. Her speed was undeniable. If she passed me cleanly, it'd be over.

Losing the lead now would mean—
—the past 1600 meters wasted—
—months since the Arima Kinen wasted—
—my dreams slipping away.

Surrendering first place meant surrender period. My ideals crumbling to reality. I refuse.

This pride—this refusal to yield—was my very essence.

If physique failed me, I'd fight with rage.

"RrraaaaAAAAAGH!!"

Seattle Charming gained a quarter-length, angling to cut me off. She teetered on the edge of foul play, aiming to steal the lead without triggering an inquiry.

Like hell. I gnashed my teeth, slamming my hooves into the turf despite the agony. An unsustainable burst—reclaiming lost speed at catastrophic stamina cost.

"THE HELL?!"

Thanks to her small frame and forward-leaning posture—she managed to slip between the fence and her opponent's body, successfully reclaiming the lead. There had just been enough space between the fence and the other horse to avoid a disqualification for interference, though it had taken speed and courage to dart through.

For a moment, relief and triumph nearly darkened her vision, but the pain in her side yanked her back to reality. A blessing in disguise, they called it. Her lips curled into a smirk as she finally surged ahead, cutting inward to face Seattle Charming head-on.

The moment she reclaimed the lead, sweat burst beneath her eyes. A clammy chill sprouted from the pores on her scalp, racing down her spine and spreading through her body. She could feel the thick, greasy sweat trickling everywhere—this was how her body reacted when things were truly dire. Her stamina was draining at an alarming rate. Maybe the pain was partly to blame.

But thanks to that clash, she’d shut Seattle Charming up. Whether she’d finally given up or not, Seattle Charming now lingered in second place.

Still, the battle to silence her had cost over 1,600 meters. Half the race had been an all-out sprint. This stamina drain would weigh heavily on her in the latter half.

If she had to make excuses—well, she hadn’t had time to think about future risks. When every ounce of oxygen was fueling her sprint, there was no room for wasted thoughts. The more desperate a person became, the narrower and simpler their thinking turned.

If she didn’t give this moment everything she had, even the ideal future would slip away. Leading into the second half, weathering Kayf Tara’s pursuit—that perfect race scenario would crumble. To achieve the ideal, she had to break the ideal. That was the cruel nature of racing.

No matter how much you prepared, the unexpected always happened. Races where everything went perfectly were rare. The Twinkle Series demanded flexibility—adapting to ever-shifting conditions—more than rigid, textbook racing. That was what made it thrilling, what made victory so valuable.

『Halfway through the race, we finally have a leader!! Apollo Rainbow has seized the front!! Seattle Charming is falling back, swallowed by the pack!! A ten-length gap between first-place Apollo Rainbow and second-place Drill Isabel!! Will we see a repeat of her stunning performance in the Kikuka Sho St. Leger!?』

『Oh? Kayf Tara is on the move! As we enter the latter half, she’s gearing up for her signature long spurt!』

—After fending off Seattle Charming, the real threat was Kayf Tara. She’d been biding her time at the back of the pack, conserving every ounce of energy. Now, she was surely ready to unleash her infamous long spurt—and that explosive final kick in the homestretch. And Apollo had no way to counter it. If she fought normally, she’d lose. No question.

(What do I do—what do I do!? If this keeps up, Kayf Tara’s gonna run me down! It’s my fault for not preparing for the unexpected. But Kayf Tara? She expects the unexpected when she strikes! Think, think—!)

Her mind spun at full speed. Was she wasting precious oxygen? She didn’t know. She might reach some reckless conclusion. But losing after struggling was better than losing without a fight.

And so, her oxygen-starved brain arrived at the most audacious, outrageous solution possible. To chase her ideal, to claim victory—there was only one path: *a 3,200-meter super-long spurt.* This was her only chance at victory—her all-or-nothing gamble.

Three minutes without breathing. Could she endure it? No choice. She had to endure it…!

"I’m—gonna wiiiiin!!!"

Ignoring the fading Seattle Charming, she steeled herself to sprint the entire remaining 1,600 meters. This wasn’t a scream—it was a battle cry. A rallying roar to push her body past its limits.

Her vision flickered between black and white. Electricity crackled at the edges, sparks firing through her brain. Nausea churned endlessly. It was disgusting—and exhilarating. Even as her stomach twisted in revolt, her spirits soared.

—This was how it should be. She’d always run on sheer grit alone.

Push harder. Push even harder.

For my dream.

『Whoa—Apollo Rainbow’s accelerating again!? Entering the third corner, she’s picking up even more speed!! Is she running on gasoline or what!?』

『N-no way! She looks like she’s about to collapse—and she’s still going…!?』

『The stands are roaring—no, screaming in excitement!! Kayf Tara is currently in 13th!! Is her relentless long spurt finally bringing Apollo Rainbow into her sights!? That stoic expression—does it hide confidence!? But—but—the gap’s still at least 15 lengths—no, it looks more like 20!!』

On the verge of losing all sense of time and space, she embraced the agony. The nausea wouldn’t stop. Had she thrown up? Her lips were wet—or was it just the wind drying them? Her throat burned, parched, her mucous membranes screaming in protest.

Her vision threatened to roll upward. She was close to passing out. Don’t you dare show the whites of your eyes, Apollo Rainbow—the cameras are watching.

Her legs trembled. Her arms refused to lift. Her sides felt cinched tight from within. Her racing suit clung to her skin, unbearably heavy. She’d lost feeling in her extremities. She needed to dig her toes into the turf and push even harder.

Kayf Tara was already in 5th place. With merciless acceleration and overtakes, she was nearing top speed before even leaving the third corner.

—Look at that. She’s catching up. Damn monster. How could she keep up with someone sprinting from start to finish? It made no sense.

Entering the fourth corner, she fixed her gaze on the finish line—but all she saw was static. Her vision blurred, the final 200 meters swallowed by blinding white light.

『A-and Apollo Rainbow rounds the fourth corner with a dominating 10-length lead!! But here comes the favorite—Kayf Tara!! KAYF TARA IS GAINING ON APOLLO RAINBOW AT TERRIFYING SPEED!! She’s surged into second place—the absolute champion has set her sights on the gray fairy!!』

Front-runners charged ahead, dragging the race forward by sheer force. Come-from-behind racers lurked at the back, saving their explosive final kicks for the end.

Suppose two equally skilled horse girls raced—one a front-runner, the other a closer. Barring track or gate advantages, conventional wisdom said that if both gave their all…

The front-runner would win.

The ideal form of a front-runner is maintaining top speed from start to finish. If a horse girl could truly embody that ideal, no one would ever catch her.

Of course, it’d require both the stamina to sustain that speed and absolute velocity—but in theory, she’d never lose.

—What a fantasy. At least, for long-distance races.

It’s impossible. A fleeting pipe dream. Maybe in sprints, but no one could pull that off in a long-distance race. You’d die trying.

I keep driving my legs forward like I’m spitting out my last breath. With less than 600 meters left, my stamina is utterly spent. At the very least, I don’t have the overwhelming speed from the race’s opening. My heart feels like it’ll burst. Even so, I’m still running fast—fast enough to match an average final spurt.

Yet Kayf Tara closes in without a single gap. That’s not fair. Until this very moment, I was undoubtedly running at spurt speed. I’ve been pushing my limit for 2,600 meters straight. And yet, Kayf Tara is shrinking the gap between us. If this isn’t fantasy, what is?

I’m running even more absurdly than in the Kikuka Sho, yet Kayf Tara’s expression doesn’t flicker as she hunts me down. The 25-length lead I had at mid-race has dwindled to less than 10. At this rate, she’ll pass me for sure. A monster. There’s no purer stayer in the world than her.

Rounding the fourth corner, we hit the final stretch. Meydan’s straight is long—450 meters. Slightly shorter than Tokyo Racecourse’s Derby stretch, but more than enough for Kayf Tara’s closing rush to decide the race.

The gap is down to seven lengths. Damn her, she’s too fast. I have to go faster. Even if my legs shatter—

"——……————!!!"

A voiceless roar tears from my throat. I want to win. I don’t want to lose. Not to Kayf Tara. I will win.

The desert wind howls, slamming into my face. Gritty, metallic air stings my eyes. My lashes flutter wildly, my eyelids threatening to flip inside out. Grains of sand occasionally slip in, burning like hell. But I can’t rub them—I might scratch my corneas and risk blindness. So I blink furiously, letting tears wash the sand away as I run.

The dirt racers never blinked. At least, that’s what I heard from the last race. Maybe they still don’t. Well, I’ll match that determination. I refuse to lose. I will win.

Strength surges through my exhausted body. Not from stamina—there’s none left—but as if borrowing speed from the very lifespan of my racing career. The Unknown Zone spreads its wings.

—[To Where the Silver Snow and Moonbow Shine]

Pale silver snow drifts onto the turf at the desert’s edge. A twisted lone cherry tree materializes, lying in wait. As if granting my wish—to sprint at top speed from start to finish—the power of my resolve propels me forward. Every inch of my body screams in protest.

Stabbing pain in my sides. Neural circuits begging for mercy. My brain fries itself, spiraling into madness. I nearly black out repeatedly, only saved by the agony in my ribs. There’s no oxygen left in my body. Maybe carbon dioxide can fuel me instead.

『A-APOLLO RAINBOW ACCELERATES AGAIN!! UNBELIEVABLE STAMINA!! I’VE NEVER SEEN A RACE LIKE THIS!!』

『B-BUT!! KAYF TARA FROM BEHIND—!!』

A perfect race strategy. An overwhelming, limit-shattering front-run. And now, the transcendent intensity of my Unknown Zone, unleashed upon Kayf Tara.

As I carve away at my own life to keep running, a disbelieving voice echoes from far behind.

"What drives you?"

Kayf Tara’s voice. A freezing shiver races down my spine as her presence looms closer.

"I don’t get it."

—She’s coming. Zone—no, Unknown Zone.

350 meters left. The gap: five lengths.

From the abyss, the Reaper arrives. One by one, she overtakes them, claiming their heads. Fourteen others have already fallen. Even my flawless escape can’t withstand her?

The world distorts. A miasmic darkness spills from Kayf Tara, swallowing my limbs. An overwhelming force—a violent will—erodes me.

A sliver of light pierces the void, passion flooding through the black haze. I see it. I’m shown it. The mental landscape Kayf Tara has forged—her Unknown Zone.

In an instant, another dimension unfolds. An endless void of pure darkness. A lone girl stands isolated within it. A reaper? No—she’s just standing there. The world made her one.

—I hate this world.

—...Though I guess I used to love it.

Grotesque. Yet lonely. Her Unknown Zone manifests.

—[Turn of a Century]

Kayf Tara’s final kick detonates. Simultaneously, Europe’s monarch begins her march. A straight-line charge that embodies what it means to be a champion. A demonic burst of acceleration closes the gap to two lengths with 200 meters left.

Unreal. Abnormal. Every ground-devouring stride steals another length. The impossible comeback of a genius stayer. A level of growth unimaginable since her Irish St. Leger run. An unbelievable—no, unwanted reality unfolds before me.

『200 METERS LEFT AS KAYF TARA CHARGES FORWARD!! APOLLO RAINBOW’S ALL-OR-NOTHING FRONT-RUN LOOKS FROZEN IN PLACE!! KAYF TARA GAINS!! APOLLO RAINBOW STAGGERS!! CAN SHE HOLD ON!?』

The twisted cherry tree is swallowed by darkness, mercilessly mowed down. The void blots out the starlit sky.

100 meters left. Kayf Tara draws even. I dig deep for one last desperate push—but it’s futile. Her face remains expressionless. Unblinking, she stares only at the finish.

『KAYF TARA PULLS EVEN WITH APOLLO RAINBOW—NO, SHE DOESN’T!! UNBELIEVABLE!! AT THE 100-METER MARK, KAYF TARA’S TERRIFYING FINAL KICK SENDS HER PAST APOLLO RAINBOW!! APOLLO FIGHTS TO CLING ON!! BUT—』

50 meters left.

Kayf Tara’s back, my dream—both grow distant.

I don’t want to lose. I want to win. But my body won’t move. Drained beyond limits, I can only stumble forward those final steps.

Did the early battle cost me? Did the hit to my ribs and the recovery drain me? No—it doesn’t matter. Kayf Tara had reserves left. Even without that clash, she’d have mustered this strength. I gave my all. There was no better race to run. No excuses will make Kayf Tara laugh. Only the cruel result approaches.

The view from the lead—crumbles away—……

『—"THE STOIC GENIUS STAYER" KAYF TARA!! WITH FEARLESS PRECISION, SHE OUTMANEUVERS THE GRAY FAIRY AT THE LAST MOMENT TO CLAIM VICTORY!! A RECORD-SHATTERING 3:15.0—PROVING ONCE MORE WHY SHE’S THE MONARCH OF THE DISTANCE!! THIS IS THE WORLD’S STRONGEST STAYER!!』

—Second place. By a length.

That was the view I saw at twilight in Meydan.